Commissioner Williams approves Austin ISD academic plan

for Eastside Memorial High School

AUSTIN - Commissioner of Education Michael L. Williams today approved an Austin Independent School District (AISD) academic plan for Eastside Memorial High School. The Commissioner's approval allows AISD to continue operation of Eastside Memorial High School beyond this school year.

"Working closely with staff at the Texas Education Agency, AISD has developed an academic plan for Eastside Memorial High School that contains many strong components critical to student success," said Commissioner Williams. "However, this plan will only be effective if AISD maintains its commitment to the students, educators and community members who want to see Eastside Memorial High School succeed."

Under the five-year plan submitted by AISD, resources of Talent Development Secondary - a school reform organization based at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education - will be implemented on the Eastside campus. In addition, the school district will work to strengthen student achievement for students from the schools that feed into that specific high school campus.

The academic plan encompasses strategies for the high school, as well as the elementary and middle schools that feed into Eastside Memorial - a specific requirement of the Commissioner. These strategies include: effective use of quality data to drive instruction; increased learning time; improved family/community engagement; strengthening the school climate; and building support for campus leadership and teacher effectiveness.

"TEA staff will continue working with AISD to put in place a foundation for student success at Eastside," said Commissioner Williams. "I commend Superintendent Carstarphen and her staff as well as members of the AISD board of trustees for working with the agency to develop a plan that rightly places the focus on the educational needs of all students."

The AISD plan fulfills requirements of an Eastside Memorial High School reconstitution plan previously provided and agreed to by TEA. The AISD board of trustees has agreed that if the academic rating for Eastside Memorial High School is not acceptable for both 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years, the board will order the campus closed for at least one full school year. The Commissioner reserves the right to close the campus or take any other action as authorized by state law.